Land mine blast survivor Soman Rana scripts golden CWG story
The triumph was particularly significant for Soman Rana, who was a national-level boxer before the accident abruptly ended his sporting career. He had trained alongside Vijender Singh and represented the Services Sports Control Board at 2005 Senior National Boxing Championships.
Soman Rana, a para-athlete serving with the 2/8 Gorkha Rifles in Jammu & Kashmir, suffered a life-changing land mine blast in 2006. The explosion resulted in the loss of his right leg and the severe injury of his left leg, which required a metal rod to be inserted. Despite these challenges, Rana continued to compete in boxing, even training alongside renowned boxer Vijender Singh. However, the accident ended his sporting career.
In 2016, Rana underwent a life-changing moment when he was fitted with a prosthetic leg at the Army’s Artificial Limb Centre in Pune. There, he met fellow soldiers and a Col Gaurav Dutta, who recognized his potential in the throws and encouraged him to focus on the shot put. Rana began his training in 2017, but missed out on the 2018 Asian Para Games due to technical issues. Nonetheless, he qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where he finished fourth.
His performance at the Tokyo Games was followed by a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Para Games and a bronze at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. Yet, the ultimate goal remained elusive until Saturday’s CWG triumph, where Rana won India’s first-ever gold medal in the men’s F57 shot put event with a throw of 13.40m. His teammate, Shubham Juyal, secured the silver with a throw of 13.28m.
Rana’s coach, Subedar Major Rakesh Singh Rawat, emphasizes Rana’s age and the challenges he continues to face, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Rawat highlights Rana’s determination as the driving force behind his success, stating that being an Army man is enough to motivate him, considering his sacrifices. Rana’s rise has also been supported by Bihar's sports scholarship policy, cash rewards under the state’s Khel Samman Samaroh, and assistance through central government schemes.
Currently ranked World No. 2 with a personal best of 15.17m, Rana plans to shift his focus to the Para Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in October. He will be joined by Nagaland’s reigning World No. 1, Hokato Hotozhe Sema, adding two more medal contenders to India’s team.
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